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Stunde
| founder = | leader = (current) | headquarters = | former members = (advisor) (honorary, postmortem) | affiliation = | allies = (nominally) | opposition = , The Coven | purpose = Protection and self-governance of the Quincy |tblColour = |textColour = #FFFFFF |}} The Stunde (スツンダ, Sutsunda, German for "Hour") is an organization composed of in the that was established by after the fall of the . Its members consist of those who, either voluntarily or via compulsion, have agreed to abide by certain regulations imposed by the in order to preserve the and legitimize their own existence. However, outside of these regulations the Stunde is an independent and self-governing organization whose influence has spread across nearly all continents of the world over the last decade. History After the defeat of and the fall of the at the hands of and his allies, Uryū Ishida realized that there had been no safeguards established to prevent such a war from taking place again. Influenced by the altruistic ideals of his , and with the support of his close friend Ichigo (who served as a mediator between the Stunde and the in its early days), Uyrū founded a new society of Quincy with the intent of creating an organization that would eventually function completely independent of the Soul Society. After the Stunde was officially established, its members worked tirelessly to advance the organization, unifying various small groups of surviving Quincy in the Human World under one cause. This strengthened the presence of the Stunde by securing branch headquarters in areas with high populations of Quincy, such as major cities, thus ensuring its eventual place as the sole governing force for Quincy in the world. While idealistic in principle, the methods employed by the Stunde during the unification process were often brutal, as the end result was given as justification for its means. Those who refused to adhere to the standards of the Stunde were either killed or captured and turned over to the Soul Society, and as a result dissenters were forced into hiding. "For the preservation of all, a few must perish," was the reasoning given at the time for taking such extreme measures, and the organization firmly believed that it was acting as the lesser of two evils. While this practice is currently not as widespread as it was before, certain members are still tasked with exterminating their own kind should the Stunde identify any rogue Quincy who serve as active threats to the balance of souls. Mainly these targets include former members of the Wandenreich who continue to follow the principles of Yhwach and antagonize the Soul Society. Organization The Stunde is a loosely hierarchal, democratic organization. The juridical board, known as the Anführung (アンフエロング, Anfuerongu, German for "Leadership"), is responsible for the decisions and actions of the Stunde. There are five Anführung, each symbolically embodying a point on the Quincy and more practically representing prescribed international regions. The regions are divided into 72° of longitude, with the starting meridian given at 90°E. Roughly, they correspond with Asia, the Pacific and West North America, East North and South America and Greenland, Europe and Africa, and the Middle East and India. The position of presiding head is rotated yearly amongst the Anführung, and whoever holds the position is responsible for managing the biannual Stunde summit, maintaining communication with the Soul Society, and mobilizing martial forces when needed. Each Anführung is elected based upon merit, strength, and adherence to the code of conduct. While the Anführung are nominated via democratic process from their respective regions, it is ultimately by consensus of the other leaders whether or not a new Anführung is inducted. The Anführung operate independently, but often communicate and consult with the other leaders and form close partnerships. The five Anführung meet twice a year at an international summit to discuss the operations of the Stunde, although such a meeting may also be called to order by the presiding head in emergency situations. Aside from the Anführung there is little over-arching structure or ranking within the Stunde, as each region is left to determine its own organization. For example, in China many of the Quincy preserve traditional orders, whereas in Italy the Stunde Quincy are closely associated with the and thus resemble its form of hierarchy. Uniforms vary across regions as well, and normally each Anführung will select a specific uniform for their region, which is to be worn at Stunde meetings. The official language of the Stunde is German, although many members also speak English, Japanese, Italian, Russian, or Chinese. Recruitment The Stunde imposes membership upon all parties of the Quincy race. Upon contact with the Stunde, each Quincy is issued a random five integer identification number which is kept in a database shared with the Soul Society. Whenever a new Quincy is discovered, they are contacted immediately and required to join the Stunde. If they refuse to join, they must pledge never to take direct action in combat against any being: , , , or otherwise. They are then placed under a “watch list.” At the first sign of aggression in any form, they are either arrested or eliminated by the Stunde. Insignia The symbol of the Stunde is a simple five-pointed star inscribed in a pentagon and surrounded by a circle. The simplicity of the shape allows the symbol to be used as a code of allegiance, as Quincy can confirm the membership of another individual by having them complete part of a drawn symbol. The star is representative of the Quincy race, the pentagon symbolizes strength and unity, and the circle embodies eternity. ''Satzung'' According to , while Quincy residing in the Human World are able to respond much more quickly to the attacks of Hollows and are thus better able to prevent human casualties amongst the living, the fact that they pose a threat to the balance of souls means their involvement in battle against Hollows is a great risk and must be avoided at all costs. Considering this, and as the purpose of the Stunde is to establish self-governance among the Quincy, a code of conduct known as the Satzung (サツズング, Satsuzungu, German for "Statues") has been established which dictates the actions of the Quincy and provides legal sanction under the eyes of the Soul Society. The articles of the Satzung are as follows: #Under no circumstance must a Stunde Quincy endanger the balance of souls by exterminating spiritual beings. The balance of souls must be held above all else, even at risk of your life. #Those who operate outside this first tenet are considered apostate and are under the authority of the Soul Society. The Stunde will not aid or protect such Quincy. #Only Quincy may be members of the Stunde. Each member of the Stunde is a brother in arms, regardless of nationality or religion, and should be treated with familial solidarity. #Stunde Quincy shall retain a code of silence, and will not reveal any knowledge relating to the Stunde to any outsider. Quincy shall refrain from fraternizing with Shinigami except under urgent circumstances where a situation might demand communication. #Members must respect the traditions of the Quincy, the command of superiors, and the law. Discipline will be administered as necessary by commanding officers #As elite warriors, Quincy must train vigorously to maintain and control their spirit weapons, as an unskilled Stunde member is a liability both in combat and to the reputation of the organization. #No Quincy, , shall marry a non-Quincy. This is to preserve the existence of the race, the purity of Quincy blood, and to ensure future posterity. # and all Quincy techniques created with the sole intent to cause malevolent harm to oneself or others, such as Zerreizen are forbidden. Headquarters All headquarters for the Stunde are located in the Human World. Each region has a central meeting center, where Stunde summits are held twice every five years. As the location for the meeting rotates along with the position of presiding Anführung, Stunde headquarters are currently located in , Japan, under Uryū Ishida. The actual complex consists of a tall, nondescript yet sleekly designed office building that is concealed from the prying eyes of normal humans by hiding the building within . This was only done via special permission from the Soul Society, as the use of Schatten was otherwise banned after the most recent . Authorized members are allowed to enter and exit this concealing dimension at will by use of a special pass. The complex is hidden within an unremarkable park that is surrounded by other office buildings, which poses a minor security hazard as it is still used by normal humans. The headquarters serve as the communications, meeting, and judicial center for the Stunde, and is also equipped with several spiritual defense mechanisms which protect it against attack. In addition, there is an extensive laboratory within the complex where experiments regarding Hollows and spiritual weapons are conducted. While the building has an upscale dormitory (replete with a resident restaurant and swimming pool) on one of the floors where Stunde members may stay if needed, the only Quincy who permanently reside at the complex are the guards who ensure 24 hour surveillance. Although the Intervention Corps are directed from the regional headquarters, their training is carried out at a separate facility. The Intervention Corps training grounds are located in , where the subzero temperatures and isolation protect the Corps from unwanted attention. The complex has also been engineered to service as a fortress should the Anführung ever require its use as such. The facilities lie beneath the ice and are also hidden within Schatten. Intervention Corps The Intervention Corps are a specialized order of Quincy within the Stunde who are not associated with any particular world region. They operate under the direct order of the commanding Anführung and serve as a highly-trained unit of elite soldiers. Operatives of the Corps act as informants, marksman, messengers, assassins, and enforcers of the Satzung. They are arranged into small squads of two to four members in order to complete a variety of missions assigned by the regional headquarters. Mainly, the Corps consists of individuals who have been deemed “powerful martial assets” in the battle against Hollows and other enemies of the Stunde. As such they serve as the Stunde’s primary military force and first line of defense against spiritual attacks. However, the true purpose of the Corps is to keep volatile, aggressive, or unpredictable Quincy under the careful watch of Stunde administration. Ostensibly, it is said that the Corps provides its operatives with the freedom and means to fight, while it in reality it is nothing more than an extremely effective leash to keep the Stunde’s most militant members in check. Upon enlisting or being drafted into the Intervention Corps, each Quincy is administered a proficiency test to gauge their capabilities. All operatives are required to undergo tactical training at the Corps headquarters in Antarctica, although depending on the skill of the individual Quincy, the level of this training may vary. For example, some Quincy begin at the ground level with basic teaching in in order to utilize their spiritual potential, while others are only given a course initiating them into specialized combat maneuvers within their squad. Unlike the varied, regionally-specific uniforms worn by other Stunde members, the Intervention Corps are usually equipped with tactical gear that grants members a more consistent appearance. Typically, a Reishi armor that covers the entire chest is required, along with a dark gray or dark blue hooded cloak and a mask to conceal one’s identity. Many Corps members choose masks based on their culture or “intimidation factors,” such as , , sports, and even gas masks. Every Corps operative is given a code name, which is used on all missions to protect them from both humans and the Soul Society. The Intervention Corps is also referred to as the Nachtkorps (ナクトコルプ, Nakutokorupu, German for "Night Corps") for short. Combat The Corps has developed a specific style of combat that allows for its operatives to fight Hollows without exterminating them. This was proposed as a means to protect both the balance of souls and living Quincy. Normally, this involves the capture, suppression, or non-fatal injuring of spiritual beings, and by necessity demands that such Quincy are able to fight without use of their . To this end, Intervention Corps Quincy train themselves in highly advanced forms of martial arts, , and other specialized skills. Notable Members Anführung Intervention Corps Apostates